Internationalisation of tertiary education in the era of Globalisation

Dr Joseph Benjamin

Head and Associate Professor

Department of Political Science

St Francis de Sales’ College,

RTM Nagpur University, India

ABSTRACT

Tertiary means third in the rank. When one uses this term in the fi eld of education it is

considered as university or college education. In common parlance it equates to higher

education. The level of education can be classified as primary, secondary and tertiary. This

paper would focus on the impact of globalization on tertiary education. Tertiary education

imparts in-depth knowledge and understanding so as to advance the students to new frontiers

of knowledge in different walks of life. It broadens not only the intellectual power of the

individual within a narrow specialization, but also gives him/her a wider perspective of the

world around.

There are four predominant concepts of tertiary education: Firstly, Tertiary education is the

production of qualified human resources, secondly, tertiary education is the training for

research career, and thirdly, tertiary education is the efficient management of teaching

provision, fourthly and tertiary education is a matter of extending life chances. All these

concepts are integrated and give an overall picture of what constitutes higher education.

There has been an effort towards internationalization of the tertiary education across the

globe during the era of globalization and after. The main goals of internationalization of

tertiary education are 1) creation of favourable conditions for outwardly mobile students and

faculty, who wish to do a part of their studies or teaching in another country/ continent; 2)

creation of condition that enable foreign students to gain access to local study programmes

and addition of an international dimension to the course contents and teaching programmes;

3) Cooperation with foreign partners in developing relevant curricula and educational

teaching methods.

Another goal of internationalization of tertiary education is to see that the quality and

marketability of tertiary education programmes be measured according to the international

norms, and to provide international competence. The goal post of internationalization is

economic sustainability, and harmonious bonding between developing countries. This would

facilitate humanitarian and peacekeeping related aims.

Era of Globalization has started somewhere in 1991 which has some impact on the tertiary

education of the world. It has coincided with end of Cold War and unraveling of former

Soviet Union. Globalization is understood as rapid increase in cross- border economic,

social and technological exchange and as a process leading to greater interdependence and

mutual awareness among economic, political and social units in the world. It offers a

splendid opportunity for sharing products hitherto not accessible to wide section of world

population due to emergence of a global market. The rosy side of globalization is painted by

supporters to convince the world that it will create a new economic and social world where

many of the boundaries will be broken to make the world a good place to live in.

… .. … ..

… .. … ..

“If all is well with the universities,

All is well with the nation.”

Jawaharlal Nehru

1 INTRODUCTION: Tertiary means third in the rank. When one uses this term in the field of education it is

considered as university or college education. In common parlance it equates to higher

education. This includes research. The level of education can be classified as primary,

secondary and tertiary. This paper would focus on the impact of globalization on tertiary

education. Tertiary education imparts in-depth knowledge and understanding so as to advance

the students to new frontiers of knowledge in different walks of professional life. It broadens

not only the intellectual power of the individual within a narrow specialization, but also gives

him/her a wider perspective of the world around. So there is no “horizon deficit”.

There are four predominant concepts of tertiary education: Firstly, tertiary education is the

production of qualified human resources, secondly, tertiary education is the training for

research career, and thirdly, tertiary education is the efficient management of teaching

provision, fourthly and tertiary education is a matter of extending career prospects life

chances. All these concepts are integrated and give an overall picture of what constitutes

higher education.

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, ‘to education’ means “to give intellectual and

moral training to.” ‘Education’ translates itself into a “systematic instruction [for]

development of character or mental powers”. Quality education, besides imparting latest

knowledge about the subject taught; also encourage students to acquire more knowledge and

deep understanding of the subjects studied. Higher Education is considered to be one of the

most potent means of achieving sustainable development. It is accepted that without more

and better higher education, developing countries will find it increasingly difficult to benefit

from the global knowledge-based economy.1

There has been an effort towards internationalization of the tertiary education across the

globe encompassing big and small nations during the era of globalization and after. It is aptly

being said, “International is the key word in education today. Universities all over the world,

including in India, place a high value on what is perceived as international education.”2 The

main goals of internationalization of tertiary education are 1) creation of favourable

conditions for outwardly mobile students and faculty, who wish to do a part of their studies or

teaching in another country/ continent; 2) creation of condition that enable foreign students to

gain access to local study programmes and addition of an international dimension to the

course contents and teaching programmes; 3) Cooperation with foreign partners in

developing relevant curricula and educational teaching methods.

Another goal of internationalization of tertiary education is to see that the quality and

marketability of tertiary education programmes be measured according to the international

norms, and to provide international core competence. The goal post of internationalization is

economic sustainability, and harmonious bonding between developing countries. This would

facilitate humanitarian and peace-keeping related aims.

Era of Globalization has started somewhere in 1991 which has some impact on the tertiary

education of the world. It has coincided with end of Cold War and unraveling of former

Soviet Union. Globalization is understood as rapid increase in cross- border economic, social

1 World Bank (2000), ‘Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise,’ The World Bank,

Washington, D. C. 2 Frontline (Chennai), February 12-25, 2011, p.118

and technological exchange and as a process leading to greater interdependence and mutual

awareness among economic, political and social units in the world. It offers a splendid

opportunity for sharing products hitherto not accessible to wide section of world population

due to emergence of a global market. The rosy side of globalization is painted by supporters

to convince the world that it will create a new economic and social world where many of the

boundaries will be broken to make the world a good place to live in.

Today globalization has become a favourate catchphrase and buzzword and has entered in the

lexicon of new education dictionary. Looking at globalization from this new paradigm it is

evident that there is an increased presence of corporate sector. There is ample scope as well

demand for international mobility of scholars for study purposes. It is a fact that knowledge

has increasingly become accessible to all and there is consciousness of quality and definite

diversification in the field of tertiary education in the new developing countries of Third

World. Some of the universities in the developing countries have grown in the past in such a

way to compete with other prime institutions of tertiary education in the developed counties

of the West. No doubt, due to globalization, education has been commercialized and has

acquired brand value and signature.

The supporters of globalization promote internationalization of tertiary education. They give

more emphasis on the quality of education, adopting a new technology of imparting

education and re-designing the course content or make it as per international standard. People

see the bright side of globalization and hail its impact on education as it creates an

atmosphere in developing countries where students have a wide variety to choose from.

The present paper would analyze the impact of globalization of tertiary education. An effort

would be made forwards study of internationalization of tertiary education. Study would also

focus on the increasing enrollment of foreign students in developing countries. How far

quality of research in tertiary education would be maintained is an area to look into in near

and distant future. What is the impact of GATTS in the field of tertiary education in the

developing countries? Paper would also study the multi-focal ramification and pitfalls of

internationalization of tertiary education if there is any. Obviously many imponderables are

involved in this calculus.

2 GLOBALIZATION AND TERTIARY EDUCATION: Nobel laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz defined globalization as removal of barriers to

free trade and the closer integration of national economies.3 In the early 1990, globalization

was welcomed with euphoria. Capital flows to developing countries had increased six fold in

six years from 1990 to 1996. The establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995 was

to bring the semblance of a rule of law to international commerce. Everyone was supposed to

be the winner – those in both the developed and the developing world. Globalization was to

bring unprecedented prosperity to all.4 Economic globalization refers to the integration of

different economies of the world through trade, investments and migration of the people.

Rangarajan has taken globalization as “integration of economies and societies through cross

country flow of information, ideas, technology, goods, services, capital, finance and people.”5

After the revolution in the information technology and communication, today education has

considered to be a portable, flexible, non-linear and student centric. Education had been

viewed as a way out, an opportunity to get a better job in fast growing cities and metropolitan

centres. Now it is also being viewed as a way up, enhancing income even for those who

remain in the rural sector, as they can work from their homes as well.

Globalization is pushing tertiary education towards greater international involvement. This

process is often referred to as internationalization of tertiary education. It involves integrating

an international, inter-cultural or global dimension into various aspects of tertiary education.

A variety of cross-border, cross-culture activities in higher education perennially takes place.

The cross-border movement of students, teachers and programmes has been taking place after

the globalization. With the General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS) identifying

education as a service sector which needs to be liberalized, education services have come to

be seen as an important traded service.

Though education services as defined under GATS include education at all levels, the main

focus is on higher education since most cross-border activities take place in domain of higher

education. For many years, there was little understanding of the implications of the

multilateral trade rules for higher education.

3 Joseph Stiglitz, (2002). Globalization and Its Discontents, England: Penguin. p.ix

4 Joseph Stiglitz (2006), Making Globalization Work, Penguin: Allen Lane, p. 7.

5 Rangarajan C. (2003), “Globalization and its Impact” in Uma Kapila, (Ed.) “Indian Economy since

Independence” New Delhi: Academic Foundation, p. 729.

There has been the impact of globalization on higher education. Despite gains in efficiency

and productivity due to a better division of labour, it is often argued that in some respects

globalization work against the interest of developing countries, reinforcing international

inequalities. The impact of globalization is seen as being widespread. While there are

concerns about integrating higher education into the legal structure of world trade through the

WTO, cross-border activities in higher education are on the increase. Many countries are

looking at the opportunities available and the risks associated with increased trade in higher

education. Therefore, nations keep track of position and development taking place on higher

education services by other countries in the GATS negotiations.

3 GLOBALIZATION AND TERTIARY EDUCATION: Looking at globalization from education point of view, it is clearly evident that there is an

increased presence of co-operations and branding in education. At the same time, tradition

concept of education is gradually being eroded. As a result, private entrepreneurship of

education is co-opted with new vigour. This gives importance to concept like investment,

management, profit and loss. Those who see the bright side of globalization hail its impact on

education as creating an atmosphere even in the developing countries where students have a

wide variety of subjects to choose. Internationalization of higher education is one of the ways

a country responds to the impact of globalization yet, at the same time respects the

individuality of nations. “Thus internationalization and globalization are seen as different but

dynamically linked concepts. Globalization can be thought of as the catalyst while

internationalization is the response, albeit a response in a proactive way”.6

Under the era of globalization, knowledge has become a commodity that is being moved

from country to country. Today the growth of knowledge-based economy has led not only to

competition worldwide among employers in hiring services of best brains available in the

international labour market but are also geared to give on-job training. Rapidly increasing

demand for higher education exceeds the capacity of many countries to supply it

domestically. For many years, few students were going other country to obtain higher

education. Today they are able to do it from their own country. International students’

mobility across the globe has increased. Today due to the increasing number of institutions,

they are building partnerships with universities and also signing Memorandum of

6 Jane Knight and Hans de Wit, (1997), Internationalization of Higher Education in Asia-Pacific Countries,

European Association for International Education, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Understanding with their counterparts in other countries. Thus education can be accessed

online now and new technologies have given necessary push in this direction. The traditional

form of cross-border flows in higher education has been for students to migrate from one

country to another to advance their studies. Several economic and social factors encourage

international students’ mobility and competition between countries for foreign students.7

Globalization is seen as a root cause of changes taking place in higher education and can

simply defined as… “the flow of technology, economy, knowledge, people, values, ideas...

across border.8

4 INTERNATIONALIZATION OF TERTIARY EDUCATION AND ITS

STRATEGIES: Jane Knight and Hans de Wit have elaborated the meaning of internationalization of tertiary

education in a very simple way. According them, the process of integrating an international,

intercultural and/ or global dimension into the goals, functions (teaching/ learning, research,

service) and delivery of higher education are the aspects of internationalization of higher

education. Internationalization of higher education recognizes nation, describes a process of

interchange of higher education between nations. It involves partnership between nations,

between national systems and between institutions. Without partnership there is no

international education.

Strategies for internationalization of activities of higher educational institutions involve the

following activities9: -

(a) An organization strategies for internationalization

(b) International student programmes,

(c) Internationalization of teaching,

(d) Offshore and distance education,

(e) Internationalization of research

(f) International teaching and assistance and training,

(g) Providing international support services.

7 Nick Clark and Robert Sedgwick (2005), ‘International Students: It’s a Buyer’s Market’, World Education News

and Reviews, August 2005 8 Jane Knight, (1999), “Internationalization of Higher Education,” Pp. 13-18, in Quality and Internationalization

in Higher Education, edited by OECD. Paris: OECD. P.14. 9 Ramdev Bhradwaj, (2006) “Internationalization of Higher Education”, Third Concept (New Delhi) p. 37.

The strategy of internationalization of education includes the minutest micro study of

international context. This includes culture, policy of the institution, its mission, statements

and corporate plans, its management and business plans. Also not out of the loop is its

organization structure for internationalization, its staff policies and its institution-wise links.

The number of students’ enrolled, geographical focus, institutional policies on enrollment

target, scholarship, modes of delivery including offshore and twinning arrangements, use of

multi-media and distance education methods provisions for promotional information are

consideration for international students’ programmes. The internationalization of curriculum

is the most important component of internationalization of teaching students offshore. In

research realm it includes a wide range of collaboration projects and institutional linkages

and programmes. Internationalization process brings uniformity of quality. The European

Union composed of national governments, universities; colleges have proposed the idea that

internationalization should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means of quality

enhancement.

Internationalization brings global environment on more equal terms. So higher education

and society can move away from dependency syndrome on nations who took initial

advantage of internationalization process.

5 WTO AND GATS AND HIGHER EDUCATION: The General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) came into existence on January 1, 1948

to manage international trade through multilateral trade agreement. There were 23 founder

members of GATT (including India). There were eight round of negotiation among the

members’ countries between 1948 and 1994 (such as Kennedy Round, the Tokyo Round and

finally Uruguay Round). Finally the last round of negotiation the member countries decided

to replace GATT by WTO by signing an agreement on January 1, 1995. India was one of the

founder members of the WTO also. With the increase importance of service sector in the

world economy in the next round of negotiation in 1996 the member countries of WTO

agreed to sign a General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS) and covered services of

international trade at par with merchandise trade. Thus an era of international trade in service

was inaugurated under GATS in a big way.

Among the various services (there are 160 services listed in the GATS) and envisaged under

GATS, education is one of them. One of the important reasons for the comodification of

services like higher education is the increasing importance of services in international trade.

Now education is considered as trade and not service, as it was perceived earlier. The WTO

perceives education, in the context of GATS as a huge market. According to an estimate,

education has a global market opportunity worth an estimated US $ 2 Trillion per year.10

It is

also understood that in the context of GATS, education is added to the niche list yielding

enormous profit next to arms and drugs.11

Global trade in Higher education is large and growing. The Organization of Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD) estimated this to be more than $30 billion per annum in

2000.12

According to Merrill Lynch, the size of the international education market was

estimated at $2 trillion in 1999. The 2005 Open Doors Report estimated that international

students contributed over $13 billion to the US economy in 2005. Kurt Larsen and his

colleagues estimated the value of exports and imports of educational services for nine

countries.13

Table No. 1

Export and import of Education service by selected countries, 2000 (million $)

Country Exports Imports Net

United States 10, 280 2, 150 8, 130

United Kingdom 3, 758 150 3, 608

Australia 2, 155 356 1, 799

Italy 1, 170 849 321

Canada 796 602 194

Greece 80 211 -131

Venezuela 60 113 -53

Mexico 29 53 -24

Brazil 4 78 -74

10

University News (New Delhi), Jan 31- Feb. 6, 2005. p. 2. 11

A. Hidyatulla 2004. “Nascent Higher Education and Nefarious Privatization in the Indian Context of

Globalization” University News (New Delhi), October 25-31 2004, p.12. 12 This estimate is based on foreign students’ expenditure (both for tuition and living expenses) when they

travel abroad for studies.

13 Larsen, Kurt; John P. Martin and Rose Mary Morris (May 2002), ‘Trade in Education Services: trends and

Emerging Issues,’ OECD, Working Paper, OECD, Paris.

Source: OECD (2000).

The global higher education market is expected to grow rapidly in the future. According to

projections, student enrolment will expand only modestly in OECD countries, rising from 46

million to 51 million in 2025. In non-OECD countries, the enrolments will rise from 69

million to 255 million.14

With the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) identifying education as a service

sector to be liberalized, education services are being seen as an important traded service.

Education service is one of the twelve sectors covered by GATS. Within the GATS

framework, education service is disaggregated into five sub-sectors; primary, secondary,

higher, adult and other services. The higher education service is considered an important

traded service, Data on this is scarce and is difficult to evaluate.

6 INDIAN STUDENTS AND FOREIGN DEGREES: For the sixth year in row, Indian students have emerged as the largest group of international

students in the US as American degrees “are a huge lure for Indians”.15

According to the

figure released by the Institute of International Education, there were 83, 833 Indian students

only in US universities. Indian students comprise of 14.4% of total international students in

US. 16

During 2006, around 80 466 students enrolled in USA. Earlier in 2006 there were 1, 33,366

students studying in different universities of the world.

Table No.2

Number of Indian Students studying in Foreign Countries (2006)

Country No. of Students (App.)

Australia 21,000

Canada 7, 500

France 1, 200

Germany 4, 200

New Zealand 3, 000

14 Mary M. Kritz (2006), Globalization and Internationalization of tertiary Education, International Symposium

on International Migration and Development, United Nations Secretariat, Turin, Italy, June 28-30. 15

The Outlook (New Delhi) November 15, 2010, p. 32 16

The Times of India (Nagpur Edition), November 11, 2007.

UK 16, 000

USA 80, 466

Total 1, 33, 366

Source: AIU Database, quoted in University News, 44(48). November 27-December 03, 2006, p. 164

There has been a significant increase of 20 % in American students studying in India but the

number is very small at 2, 115. With regard to the courses the Indian students pursue in US,

71 % study for masters degree, while Ph. D. Graduate enrollment figure grew nearly 6 %

from 56, 397 in 2005-06 to 59, 521 in 2006-07. There are over 12, 500 Indian undergraduate

students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in US.17

In 2009 the students enrolled in

Australian Universities has been increased to 97, 000 from 21,000.

No doubt Indian students have been studying in US, still India has been attracting foreign

students particularly from developing world especially from Africa for many years because of

two things viz;, attraction of Indian language and quality in higher education. Also in some

nations there are no educational institutions and if there are few they suffer from poor quality.

The chart given below gives statistical breakdown of foreign students who have come to

India to acquire higher degree from Indian Universities encompassing many disciplines from

1995 to 2005. This period is commonly known as ‘the era of globalization.’ In 1995 around

10086 foreign students joined Indian universities to have higher education. During 1996-2004

the number of foreign students coming to India for higher study declined. Again during 2004-

2005 the incoming of foreign students for Indian degrees have been substantially increased. It

has gone to 13267.

Graph 1

17

The Times of India (Nagpur Edition), November 11, 2007.

Source: AIU Database, quoted in University News (New Delhi), 44(48), November 27-December 03, 2006,

p.165.

7 STRATEGIES FOR INTEGRATING THE INTERNATIONAL

DIMENSION: Jane Knight

18 has suggested strategies for enhancing and sustaining the international

dimensions of research, teaching and service. Integration is the key to the process and

strategies which focus on both academic activities as well as organizational factors which are

central to achieving a successful and sustainable integration of international dimension. Jane

Knight has provided two strategies one for the course/programme and second for the

institution.

Programme strategies refer to those initiatives which are academic in nature or are related to

the teaching, learning, and training, research, advising or supporting activities of the

institution both at home and abroad. The organizational strategies include policies,

procedures, systems and supporting infrastructure which facilitate sustain the international

dimension of the universities and colleges.

Table No. 3: Programme Strategies

Academic

programme

-Student exchange programme

-Foreign language study

-internationalize curricula

-Area of thematic study

18

Jane Knight, (1999), ‘Internationalization of Higher Education,’ Quality and Internationalization in Higher

Education, IMHE,

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN INDIAN UNIVERSITIES (1995-2005)

10085

5880

6689

5318

6946

77838137

7756 7753

13267

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

1995-

96

1996-

97

1997-

98

1998-

99

1999-

00

2000-

01

2001-

02

2002-

03

2003-

04

2004-

05

YEARS

NO

. STU

DEN

TS

-Work/study abroad

-International students

-Teaching/learning process

-Joint and double programme

-Cross-culture training

-Faculty/staff mobility programmes

-Visiting lectures and scholars

-Link between academic programme and research, training and development

assistance

Research and

Scholarly

Collaboration

-Area and theme centres

-Joint research projects

-International conferences and seminars

-Published Articles and Papers

-International research agreements

-Researcher and graduate students exchange

-International research partners in academic and other sectors

-Link between research, curriculum, teaching

External

relations and

services

(domestic

and abroad)

-Community-based partnerships and projects with non-government groups or

private sector

Companies

-International development assistance projects

-Customised/contract training programmes off-shore

-link between development projects and training activities with teaching and

research

-Community service and intercultural project work

Off-shore teaching sites and distance education

-Participation in international networks

-Alumni development programmes abroad

Extra-

curricular

activities

-students clubs and associations

-International and intellectual campus events

-Liaison with community based cultural groups

-Peer groups and programmes

-Social, cultural and academic support systems

Source: Jane Knight, (1999), ‘Internationalization of Higher Education,’ Quality and Internationalization in

Higher Education, IMHE.

8 INTERNATIONALIZATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES: Organizational strategies include those initiatives which help to ensure that the international

dimension is institutionalized through appropriate human resources, policies and

administrative systems. The focus on organizational strategies is what distinguishes the

process approach from the other approaches. By stressing the importance of integrating the

international dimension into the institution’s mission statement, planning and review systems,

policies and procedures, hiring and promotion systems one is working toward ensuring that

the international dimension is well embedded and institutionalized.

Jane Knight and Hans de Wit (1995) have given the examples of organizational strategies.

Table No. 4: Organizational Strategies

Governance

-Expressed commitment by senior leaders

-Active involvement of faculty and staff

-Articulated rationale and goals for internationalization

Recognition of an international dimension in mission statement and other

policy document

Operations

-Integrated into institution-wide and department planning, budgeting and

quality review systems.

-Appropriate organizational structures

-Communication systems (formal and informal) for liaison and co-

ordination

-balance between centralized and decentralized promotion and management

of internationalization

-Adequate financial support and resource allocation systems

Support

services

-Support from institution-wide service units, i.g. student housing,

registrariat, counseling, fund-raising, etc.

-involvement of academic support units i.e. language training, curriculum

development, library

-Student support services for international students studying on campus and

domestic students going abroad, i. e. orientation programmes, counseling,

cross-cultural training, student advisors, etc.

Human

resource

development

-Recruitment and selection procedures which reorganize international and

intercultural expertise

-Reward and promotion policies to reinforce faculty and staff contribution to

internationalization

- faculty and staff professional development activities

-support for international assignments and sabbaticals

9 SUSTAINING THE QUALITY IN TERTIARY EDUCATION: Assessing the quality of higher education is seen as enabling individuals to benefit from

economic opportunities, thereby leading to expansion in income and economic means.19

The quality in higher education is associated with idea of excellence or outstanding

performance. The quality assurance in higher education refers to the policies, attitudes,

19 Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen (1995), ‘Basic Education as a Political Issue, 9(1), Journal of Educational

Planning and Administration.

actions and procedure necessary to ensure that quality is being maintained and enhanced. It

may include any one or more of the approaches described in the next section. Quality

assurance is sometimes used in a more restricted sense, either to denote the achievement of a

minimum standard or to refer to assuring stakeholders that quality is being achieved.

In order to maintain the quality in higher educational institutions External Quality Review

(EQR) agencies have been established. These agencies are intended to hold higher education

institutions accountable for the resources they enjoy, provide independent affirmation of the

quality achieved by higher education institutions, and to assist higher education institutions to

improve their quality. Different countries have used different method to maintain quality in

their educational institutions. Assessment is an evaluation that results in a grade, whether

numeric that is a percentage or a shorter scale of say 1 to 4, or literal i.e A to F or describes

good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory. The assessment of higher education can also be called an

evaluation.

10 CONCLUSION: No doubt the internationalization of higher education has opened new horizons for present

and corning generations to acquire higher education as well as global culture from anywhere

in the world. The students’ mobility has been made possible due to the internationalization of

tertiary education. New braches of universities of the West are being opened for the benefits

of students. It got substantial fillip from the relentless onward march of multiple

communication revolutions. This has opened new options. Students need not go to Western

countries to register themselves for higher education now. The second advantage of

internationalization of higher education is that standard courses are planned to suit the

students’ through-out the globe. This is due to the fact that students migrating to various

destinations for education come from diverse national, cultural, linguistic, political and

economic backgrounds. The syllabus is prepared in such a way that the knowledge is

acquired and this may lead to job. Higher education is linked with job. These are greatest

advantage of internationalization of higher education. No doubt the internationalization has

advantages, it also has multiple dis-advantages. The higher education has been

commercialized and marketized. Bogus universities have come in various Western countries.

To cite one random example will do. The Tri-Valley University scandal in California in USA

and many sub-standard universities has created problems for foreign students and host

countries.20

Diplomatic hiccups and ripples have threatened to sour bilateral relationships,

more so, when violence is unleashed on students as in the case of Australia. Another offshore

is that students and parents in guest for foreign education and degrees bankrupt themselves

through loans at exorbitant rates from money lenders or banks or sell agricultural land at

distress rate or pawn family heirlooms and gold ornaments. Further, the poor developing

countries spends lot of money in training and educating students for professional degrees who

soon migrate to West for lucrative jobs or for advanced specialization. This has been

veritable brain-drain and in one way subsidizes the Western economy. And the cruelest cut

and irony is that these very migrating students speak very derogatorily about their countries

and culture.

Education is considered to be the private good rather than the public good. The attempts are

made to build and strengthen the relationship between education and economic performance.

The university is becoming a profit-making enterprise. “The withering of the state patronage

in the wake of globalization process is compelling the university to adopt institutional

technology strategy, in order to translate the mission and methods of the university into

business and operational terms.”121

Higher education and research are elements of cultural, social, economic and environmentally

sustainable development of the State, institutions and individuals. The universities are at the

cusp of the millennium and have to develop competitive edge by making higher education

more flexible, innovative and productive with more emphasis or relevance, quality and

efficiency.

The University is a foremost and unique agent of change in the society. It is expected that it

helps the development of personality, in the enhancement of knowledge and culture, in quest

for humanism and peace and in the integration of culture and technology. The essential

purpose of education is to prepare everyone to acquire the knowledge, talents and resources

and make them available in the task of nation building. Universities/colleges should come out

with new fellowship for poor and deriving students so that they can avail the education any

where in the world. Educational institutes should be for public good and need not become

profit-making industries.

20

The Indian Express (Nagpur Edition) February 3, 2011, also see, M. V. Kamat, ‘Overhauling Education’

Hitavada (Nagpur (India) daily, February 15, 2011. 121 Pramod Talgeri, (1990), Globalization and Farewell to Classical University, Higher education: Challenges

and Visions, Golden Jubilee Year, University of Pune, p. 57.